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From Tiny Seeds

Grow Mighty Trees

n May 2013, National Voluntary the instruction of her mentor, Venerable Master
Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD), Yin Shun, to work “for Buddhism and for all living
Ia national coalition that coordinates major beings,” Dharma Master Cheng Yen encouraged
organizations in disaster relief, held its twenty- her followers, thirty local housewives, to save

first annual gathering in Portland, Oregon. On just a couple cents of their grocery money each
May 14, the second day of the conference, day to help the poor. The amount was small
NVOAD presented its annual Member of the enough that it would not negatively impact
Year Award. This year, the recipient was Buddhist their lives, but when pooled together over

Tzu Chi Foundation. many days and from many people, it could
As the announcement was made, make a great impact to help those in need.

representatives of dozens of major national In order to save more money to donate,
and international relief organizations saw the these first followers began to request slightly
compassionate face of Dharma Master Cheng smaller portions during their daily grocery
Yen appear on the television screens flanking shopping trips. As they did, they shared the

both sides of the stage. They heard how the story of the budding organization with vendors
great aspiration of one individual had brought and fellow shoppers, who then saw that they
together compassionate people all around the too could make a difference for others by
world to serve like the thousand eyes and giving very little of themselves. Before long, the

thousand hands of Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara), message was spreading and more people were
the Bodhisattva of compassion. It was a donating and joining the organization. At first,
milestone for Tzu Chi in the United States, an Tzu Chi volunteers helped a handful of sick and
affirmation of more than two decades spent elderly individuals in their local community, but

diligently developing a compassionate mission as more people joined the mission, their reach
in a new land. quickly expanded across the island as they

Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation was originally served people in need with individual charity
founded forty-seven years earlier in April 1966 services, financial support, and winter relief
by a twenty-nine-year-old Buddhist nun in a distributions.
poor, rural county of Eastern Taiwan. Following

6 Tzu Chi uSA WiNTER 2014